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Gold for ParalympicsGB para-cyclists Sophie Thornhill and Helen Scott

on 09-09-2016 15:37

Sophie Thornhill and pilot Helen Scott set a new Paralympic record in the women’s B 1,000m time trial as they secured ParalympicsGB’s first medal of day two at Rio 2016.

Thornhill and Scott posted a new Paralympic best of 1:06.28 in the penultimate ride and when the Dutch pairing of Larissa Klaassen and Haleigh Dolman failed to surpass the Brits’ time, gold was confirmed.

Thornhill, who is from Poynton in Stockport, said:

“I can’t see the board so all I am looking for is a green or a red thing to see if they are up or down on our time and I couldn’t see a green thing throughout their race.

“This has been months and months of hard work, and hours in the gym and velodrome to get here.”

"We have worked so hard for this.” pilot Helen Scott

Scott, who won silver in the kilo and bronze in the pursuit at London 2012 with Aileen McGlynn, said:

“It is absolutely amazing. We knew the time was good but those Dutch have gone faster this year and we were hoping and praying the whole way.

“Once we saw they were eight-tenths down in the last lap then we thought ‘surely they can’t make that up’ and I just can’t believe it. We have worked so hard for this.”